


by moonlight

by miss_tatiana



Category: Lost
Genre: Canon Compliant, Episode: s02e15 Maternity Leave, F/F, First Kiss, and they just want to keep each other safe forever, theyre really in love ok
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-01-26
Updated: 2019-01-26
Packaged: 2019-10-16 13:22:20
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,062
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17550482
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/miss_tatiana/pseuds/miss_tatiana
Summary: Kate feels like she has some things to clear up after she and Claire return from their trip to the Dharma medical station.





	by moonlight

**Author's Note:**

> im sick of straight lost and this is my way to fight it

“I’m sorry I didn’t believe you.” Kate sat next to Claire on the sand by her shelter, watching the moonlight ripple on the water in front of them. 

They had been back from their trek through the jungle for hours, but Kate hadn’t been able to make herself leave Claire, even with all threats of danger gone. Every few minutes, she looked back at Aaron, whose fever had broken and who was sleeping solidly in the cradle John had built for him. It was always either him or the moon that held her eye- she couldn’t bring herself to look at Claire. She felt guilty for discounting her story, and even worse for thinking - if only for a second - that Claire was crazy. 

“I wouldn’t believe me, if I were you,” Claire replied, drawing patterns in the sand with a finger. “I know how I sound.” 

“I should have trusted you, though.” Kate clenched her fists, pressing them into the cool sand. “We did this same thing when Ethan tried to take the baby, you literally told us what happened and we just didn’t-” She shook her head. “Claire-”

“Kate, look at me.” 

Kate winced, and she did. In the moonlight, Claire’s hair shone a soft white, and her cheekbones and nose were highlighted in gentle blue. She looked like something out of a dream, like she couldn’t be sitting there in front of Kate. Then again, Claire always looked that good. It hurt to hold eye contact; Kate felt guilt eating away at her, the inevitable feeling that she’d let Claire down. Again. 

“I wanted to thank you for coming along to protect me,” Claire said slowly. “You didn’t have to do that, and it was really sweet of you.” 

Kate wanted to apologize again, to say anything, but her breath caught in her throat, and any words she was trying for died before they reached her lips. The only thought running through her mind was that she had to be better. She had to be better for Claire, and for Aaron, and she couldn’t doubt anything Claire told her ever again. 

“You’re the only person-” Claire stopped, and she was fidgeting a little, but she didn’t look away from Kate’s eyes. “You and John are the only people I feel safe with anymore. I know Charlie’s trying, and I know he’s getting better, but I just… I made a mistake getting close to him in the first place. John’s the closest thing to a grandfather Aaron’s going to have, I think. He’s been terrific. And you-” She smiled, and it was the cutest smile in the world. 

Kate’s heart was in her throat. Hearing anyone talk about her like this made her a little uncomfortable, but hearing Claire talk about her like this? She felt blush creep over her cheeks. She wasn’t a saint, and when Claire made it seem like she was, it was all she could do to keep breathing. She knew it was wrong to let anyone believe she was a good person, but collecting praise from Claire was what kept her going most days. 

“You stuck with me from the beginning, since we first crashed,” Claire said. “Kate, you’re the reason I have Aaron now.” 

Kate shook her head. “What do you-” 

“He was going to die,” Claire said, voice getting thick with tears. “When he came, he was- he could tell I was too scared to have him. He would have died, I know it. You told me it was going to be okay, you gave me a future where raising him here wasn’t the end of the world. I think you saved my baby.”

Kate looked down, and reached for Claire’s hand, giving it a squeeze.

“What I’m saying is even if you don’t always believe me, you always believe in me.” Claire pressed her lips together in a little smile. “And that’s all I can ask for.” 

“But I should have-”

“No one has to believe everything that comes out of my mouth, that’d be silly to expect,” Claire continued. “I know I can get a little… hysterical, sometimes.”

“It’s on us to give you the benefit of the doubt,” Kate argued. “Especially about your own memories. I was stupid to-”

“Kate, you came with me,” Claire interrupted. “You hiked all the way out there to protect me and keep me safe even though I couldn’t really even remember where I was going. If anything, I owe you.”

Kate looked down, combed a hand through the sand. “You can’t owe me for protecting you. Claire, I’m always going to protect you, no matter what, whether you sound crazy or not.”

Claire laughed gently. “Then will you stop feeling bad for things that don’t matter?”

“I don’t want you to think I’m some-” Kate sighed. “I’m not a good person, Claire.”

“As long as I’ve known you, you’ve treated me the best out of everyone here,” Claire said steadily. “You spent time with me when everyone else just pitied me, you tried to save me when Ethan took me, you helped deliver my baby, you- I don’t know who you were before, and I don’t  mind who you were before, because you’re a good person now.”

Kate nodded, looking back out over the ocean and trying not to cry. “I’ll believe you next time. I promise.” 

Claire chuckled. “Okay.” She pressed a kiss to Kate’s cheek. “You okay?”

Kate nodded again, running a hand under her eyes. “It’s stupid. It’s not every day someone says I’m good, that’s all.” 

“Well, remind me to tell you tomorrow too, then,” Claire said. “I can make it a daily thing.” 

Kate laughed a little. “Come on,” she murmured, looking up at Claire. 

“Seriously.” Claire smiled, and she pressed a quick, simple kiss to Kate’s lips before leaning her head on Kate’s shoulder. 

Kate decided not to address it, that words couldn’t sum up her feelings right now. She rested her head on Claire’s, tried to slow the beating of her heart, and looked out at the beam of moonlight rippling on the water. She couldn’t help but hope that this wasn’t the last time Claire would kiss her, or the last time they’d spend a night like this. 

She held out a hand, and Claire took it, and they watched the moon in each other’s gentle company. 

**Author's Note:**

> they're! so soft !!


End file.
